Home > Flashcards > Geology > Environmental Geology

Details Title: Environmental Geology Description: Rocks and Igneous Rocks Total Flash Cards: 8 Created: 02/24/2006 18:23:38	To study from this set of flash cards, or to create your own your own study flash cards, register HERE. If you are already a registered user, CLICK HERE.
Cards Term MINERALS What are they? Definition Chemical compounds of one or more elements bonded together. inorganic, naturally occuring, solid, definate chemical composition, orderly arrangement of atoms. Term What is most abundant in the earths crust? Definition Silicate Matierials. 75% of the earths crust! Term ROCK CYCLE What drives the rock cycle? Definition internal heat engine: Heat that is produced inside the earth from radioactive decay. Drives plate techtonics. External Heat Engine: The sun, drives evaporation & precipitation Term Hydrolic Cycle Definition * Dissolves Rocks * Water freezes and expands, breaking rocks. * Transports sediments (pieces of rocks and minerals through rivers, lakes. * Diposits sediment Term How do Igneous rocks form? Definition * They form from cooling/solidifying molten rock. * As molten rock cools, minerals form. Term How do we classify igneous rocks? Definition *grainsize (size of minerals) *composition (mineral content) Term Grainsize is? (igneous) Definition Controlled by the rate of cooling. *formed when magma cools at the earths surface *extrusive rocks (meaning out) SLOW COOLING ROCKS = course grained min. (visable, big enough to see) *formed when magma cools inside the earths surface. *intrusive rocks Term Composition :mineral content. (igneous) Definition FELSIC = Lite color, rich Si, low Fe & Mg. INTERMEDIATE= Grey or Salt & Pepper. MAFIC= Dark color, rich Fe & Mg, Low Si